The Divine Wind
by Tenchi-sama1
Summary: Updated (finally) and with characters you'll recognize
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Hi again. Don't own Tenchi, don't own Spade. Incidentally, this is a collaboration between myself and my friend who I know only as LSSJ Spadesama. The original concept was his, but its been tweaked a bit. You might think Spade bears a remarkable resemblance to a generic Dragon Ball Z character, and, though these were originally his roots in my friend's mind, I shall try to minimize that effect. Reviews are always nice to receive, and constructive criticism is great too. If you think this is the worst fic you've ever read, its good to hear why you think that. I'm babbling now. Happy reading ^^.

The pair of royal guards stepped quickly through the familiar halls, their charge firmly in tow. Occasionally they turned to look at the cloaked man, his face, or what little was visible of it, completely calm despite the grandeur of their surroundings. Their pace was quick, but not enough to outdo the stranger, who seemed to float for all the noise he made. They drew to a halt as the large wooden doors loomed suddenly into their vision. The eldest guard turned to his companion, nodded curtly, and opened the doors, entering and closing them as quickly as possible. Nervously, the younger man fingered the carved wooden blade at his hip. 

The stranger smiled. Such inexperience. These must be the Emperors new recruits. His heels touched the marble floors for the first time since entering into the guards custody, his leather soles making a small sound which echoed faintly in the massive hall. The guard jumped slightly, aiming his staff at the hooded stranger. His smile stretched a bit further at the thought of doing battle with this young man. "Have you any idea who I am?" he asked quietly.

"You are not to speak unless spoken to," came the curt reply.

The stranger's eyes flashed beneath the shadow of his hood. Before the young guard knew what had happened, his staff was in the other man's hands, pointed at him. He fumbled for his sword, igniting it and leaping back into a defensive stance. The man smiled, throwing back his hood. "I am the Lord of the Divine Wind. Do not try me with such petty games, for I know the rules, and am exempt from them. Replace your weapon."

At the sound of the man's name, and the authority in his voice, whatever resolve the young man had possessed was dashed. He replaced his sword at his hip and bowed on one knee. The man placed the staff at the guard's side and strode toward the doors purposefully, shoving the elder guard out of his way as he passed through them. 

A regally dressed man stood at the center of the room, his long black hair pulled back and held in a pony tail with a bark patterned circlet. His stature was impressive, several inches taller than his new guest, and he stood as a man who is used to having his orders obeyed. The cloaked man approached him, looked carefully at him, then bowed.

"Stand up Spade, my old friend," said the emperor genially.

The cloaked man grinned and stood, embracing the emperor. "It has been too long, Kado."

"So it has, so it has," Kado replied, motioning to a cabinet of exotic liquors. "Do help yourself, Spade."

"I just might." Spade filled a decanter with Lexian aged Lloorian nectar, a particularly potent concoction, but took only tiny sips. "Now, my lord, why did you call me here?"

"Drop the formality, Spade, for Tsunami's sake," the emperor smiled. "How long have we known each other?"

"A few good years," observed Spade. His manner relaxed slightly. "Seriously, though, why am I here?"

The emperor's demeanor became more serious. "Another assassination attempt. They're getting more frequent. I worry."

"None have succeeded. You're the emperor of Jurai, you control more Jurai energy than any of us."

"Except for you."

"I have no Jurai energy."

"Perhaps not, but the power you control is quite impressive."

"So you invited me here to discuss battle strategies?"

Kado laughed. "In a way. I wish to procure your services. I wish you to be my personal guard. You've seen my other help, have you not?"

"Indeed," agreed Spade. "I wasn't terribly impressed."

"Now do you see why I want you as a bodyguard?"

"Shall we discuss pay?"

The emperor smiled.

Spade sat in the darkness of his chambers, all lights doused, the evening breeze blowing lightly through the half-drawn shades. His eyes were closed tightly, and his fists clenched, but otherwise seemed utterly relaxed, his body in the traditional lotus position. His cloak and shirt were draped over a nearby chair, and his skin twitched slightly as the air passed over it. He slowly reached back to grasp the hilt of his sword, which shone dully in the darkness, dimly reflecting the stars. A single word escaped his lips as he drew the blade over his forearm, across the artery:

"Ketsurui."

The blood glimmered black in the moonlight, weeping from his wound. As the liquid touched the sword, it was absorbed, and the blade began to glow, softly at first, then with increasing intensity. An aura of blue and black engulfed the sword. Spade noted with grim humor that blue, for others, was a pure color. He flexed his forearm and the wound began to close, causing the glowing blade to lose its intensity. Soon the wound was closed, and the room dark once again, save the moonlight reflected off of the trees. 

Without opening his eyes, Spade replaced the sword, removed the scabbard from his back, and reclined on his new bed. "Damn sword," he thought before drifting into nothingness.

The curtains, as black as the night they shielded, slowly lifted as the wind continued to blow.

* * *

The man stood atop the Juraian royal palace, inhaling the sweet night air. The scent of grass and leaves and exotic flowers met his nose, causing him to smile against the black cloth covering most of his face. Soon the true beauty of Jurai would be freed from the tyrannical grip of the Emperor. Soon Jurai would be a free republic, the people would decide what was the right thing to do. Soon. With luck, tonight.

Of course, he had his own agenda as well. With the power of the Jurain emperor at his grasp, as well as his standing with the True Jurain Freedom Movement, he would be guaranteed a spot in the new senate. That's always a nice incentive for an assassination attempt.

He inhaled another full breath of the fragrant air and plunged into the royal hall, praying to Tsunami for her blessing in this task.

Spade's eyes snapped open. Someone new was here. Someone who shouldn't be. He quickly threw on his scabbard and slipped out the door, floating above the ground to avoid making any noise. He paused and listened for a full minute before hearing the sound of footsteps. "Whoever this is," he thought, "he's damn quiet."

Tracing the sound of the footsteps, he flew silently toward them, pausing now and again to ascertain the new location. Knowing the general layout of the palace, he could guess where the footsteps were heading.

"The throne room!" he whispered. Immediately he put on a fresh burst of speed.

The man moved quickly through the shadows, his black clothing melding almost perfectly in with the shadows. He moved purposefully, though it took more concentration than he would have liked. He had always been an admirer of architecture, and this was some of the finest he had ever had the pleasure of seeing. He shook his head and continued walking. He couldn't afford distractions.

The doors to the throne room loomed ahead, daunting and awe-inspiring. He smiled. Mission all but accomplished.

Spade raced toward the throne room, hoping to get there before the assassin, realizing stealth might have to be sacrificed for speed.

The assassin opened the great doors soundlessly, amazed at their lack of resistance. Undoubtedly they used some extremely light material to make these doors look marble. No stone on Jurai could be this light.

"STOP!"

The man gasped and spun around, seeing the figure racing toward him at an inhuman rate. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the emperor groggily rising from his bed. An opportunity not to be missed. The assassin raised his weapon. "For Jurai!" he cried, and squeezed the trigger, just as Spade knocked into him with the force of a freight train.

The strange weapon flew out of his hand, discharging the red beam at Spade, who grimaced and dodged the peculiar blast.

The man stood, unbelievably, and faced Spade. "You fool!" he exclaimed emphatically. "Don't stand in my way!" He charged at Spade, taking the warrior off guard. No one in their right minds would try this.

Spade rolled his eyes and brought his hands into a blocking pose, into which the man charged full tilt, expecting to knock his opponent to the ground.

Instead he bounced off of Spade's arms like he would a brick wall, and with all the apparent effects. His nose bled freely and rested at a strange angle across his face, and he spit out two teeth, coughing blood. He looked uncomprehendingly at Spade.

The warrior smiled. "Bad idea."

The man gazed dumbly around the room, then spotted his weapon just within reach. Spade followed his gaze, cursed, and launched himself at the man, who was pulling the weapon off the ground. The man grinned and fired at Spade, hitting him square in the chest.

A strange effect wrought itself on the warrior. Instead of blasting a hole where the beam struck, he began to crystallize. The process spread over his entire body, shrinking him as it progressed. In a matter of seconds only a red jewel existed where Spade had, which fell to the ground and bounced to the assassin.

The man looked to where the emperor was, and was confronted with a blow across the head that forced him into unconsciousness. Slowly, Kado picked up the jewel that had been Spade. A curious sensation came over him, as if the power of his bodyguard was contained in the gem. He smiled without a hint of humor and kicked the unconscious man on the ground. A brilliant PR spin was running through his head: "Assassination attempt thwarted by emperor, corruption runs through the highest levels". It was unfortunate his friend had to pay the price, but that was politics.


	2. Royal Teardrop

Disclaimer: Ahoy hoy! 'Tis me once again. My internet was stolen, and now that I have it back, I am happy to finally update this fic. I don't own any of this, this is done without permission, yadda yadda yadda, enjoy and review. ^_^

Chapter 2

The first princess of Jurai awoke slowly, yawning and stretching against her futon before lazily opening her eyes. She lie in bed for a moment, hands behind her head, reviewing the upcoming day's events. Sweep behind the shrine, of course. And she was going to start cooking lessons with Sasami. That might pose some problems, but she was sure that she could eventually handle it. Then there was the laundry. And when the ship arrived, she would propose to Tenchi.

This really wasn't how things were traditionally done, at least on planet Jurai, but frankly she was sick of waiting for Tenchi to make up his mind. She loved him to death, but that boy could be so _dense_ sometimes. He obviously wasn't going to make up his mind as things were going now, but perhaps the Royal Teardrop itself would give her the edge she needed to beat a certain overbearing, uncouth space pirate.

She stood and stretched once more, sniffing the air faintly for signs of Sasami's cooking, which were soon detected. Smiling, the princess walked over to her dresser and sat down on the small wooden stool, viewing herself in the mirror. She had thought Nobiyuki kind to order these for the girls, until she found the small video-recording device affixed to it. Still, the wood was of excellent quality, and it allowed her to avoid meeting Ryoko in the hall on her way to use the mirror in the bathroom. Ayeka opened one of the drawers, pulled out a brush, and began pulling it slowly through her long, dark hair. She would have to take extra time today, she thought, beaming at her reflection.

The Royal Teardrop. The beautiful gem had been passed down for generations; no one really knew when it had been found, and no other like it had ever been seen. According to legend, it had been dropped at the Emperor's feet when his most trusted friend had tried to kill him, and he had shed tears of bitterness as he was forced to slay his long time companion. The gem had been christened the Royal Teardrop, as the flower, because whenever its bearer felt sadness, the normally red coloring of the stone would fade to purple. It was also said to contain great power, as that is where the backstabber Spade Kamikaze drew his energy. Spade. That coward. 

Ayeka's hand tightened around the brush she was holding, jerking her hair and snapping her out of her reverie. She shook her head lightly, ran the brush once more through her long tresses, and replaced the tool in its proper place. Another drawer opened to reveal a large variety of makeup's, from which she carefully selected a light blush, a natural lipstick, a slightly pinkish foundation, mascara and an almost imperceptible eyeliner. She had read in a magazine article that the secret to good makeup application was that it accented your natural facial structure and skin tone, but that it was almost unnoticeable. The princess wondered in passing why that magazine had come to the house, especially with Nobiyuki's name on it. The pictures and topics in there were downright risque!

Makeup applied, she walked over to her trunk and began searching for her most formal kimono. Today would call for such attire.

* * *

Sasami ran back and forth about the kitchen, hurrying to prepare breakfast. Already she could hear sounds of feet above her, and that meant that people were going to be hungry very soon. She quickly chopped a block of tofu and added it to the miso soup, bopped Ryo-ohki on the head as the cabbit tried to sneak one of her carrots, and adjusted the burner so as not to burn the fish.

Her mind began to wander as she executed the routine motions, and she found herself wondering what had kept Ayeka up so late. The young princess had stayed up till past eleven waiting for her older sister to come to bed, and when Ayeka finally did come, she hadn't even scolded Sasami for disobeying the bedtime rule. All she had said before dropping off to sleep was that she had been visiting with Ryu-oh, and would appreciate it if Sasami would make her finest breakfast tomorrow. The younger princess had only been too happy to oblige; it had seemed to her that everyone had begun to take her cooking for granted. 

With deft strokes she chopped the carrot that Ryo-ohki was still looking at, a pleading look in the small creature's golden eyes.

"No, Ryo-ohki, not before breakfast. Anyway, this is for the others. You can have some when they come down to eat."

A small, pathetic meow escaped Ryo-ohki's trembling lips.

"No. I don't care how much you beg."

The cabbit looked at her with watery eyes.

"Ryo-ohki..."

The small creature sensed an impending victory, as well as an impending carrot, and combined the trembling lip and pathetic meow with an expression of heart wrenching pain. Sasami sighed.

"Alright, but just one." The girl reached into a basket and handed a carrot to the now ecstatic animal, who meowed loudly and grasped it in her mouth, then took off running.

The young princess sighed and turned her attention back to the fish, which were beginning to brown. 

***

Ryoko dragged herself out of bed and blinked blearily at the mirror before her. Ugh. With that peculiar dragging gait that is exclusive to people who have just awoken with a hangover, she made her way to the bathroom to check what that mirror had to say.

Unfortunately, all mirrors this morning seemed to be possessed of the opinion that she looked like someone who had just been run over by a truck. This was clearly not the case. Nothing unusual had happened at all last night. She distinctly remembered having a bit of sake as a nightcap, then making her way to bed. After another few nightcaps. 

Her head descended into the water filled sink, bubbles floating out of her drooping mouth. Well, she thought, maybe the third bottle really was a bit much. Oh well. She jerked her head back, tossing water from her soggy hair around the room, then phased out of her clothing and stepped over to the shower. A sliding sound behind her attracted her attention.

In the doorway stood a yawning Tenchi, eyes closed and mouth open, arms stretched over his head. He stepped in and closed the door, groggily opening his eyes and issuing a drowsy smile. 

"Oh hi Ryoko, how are..." He trailed off as his gaze fell below her face. 

Ryoko smiled brightly. "Good morning Tenchi. Pleasant dreams? Or might this be just a little more pleasant?"

Blushing an interesting shade of crimson, Tenchi backed up, opened the door, and bolted into the hall, having just enough time to stammer how sorry he was before he slammed the door and, from the sounds of it, took off down the hall and back to his room.

Ryoko smiled and turned on the water full blast. Her morning had gotten off to a good start after all. Now if only there was something she could do about this damn headache...

***

Katsuhito Jurai made his way down the long stone staircase to the house at the base of the mountain. It was a beautiful day, evoking memories of past battles and his picnics in the woods with his wife, of days spent sitting by his tree, Funaho, and simply listening to the sounds of nature. A most beautiful and thought provoking day, whose pristine silence was broken only by the sound of insects and the chirping of birds. He paused, pushing his glasses up on his face. There was something missing...yelling, perhaps, or explosions. His brow furrowed as he wondered whether he had simply awoken early or if the family had been kidnapped. His pace quickened slightly, then slowed back to its original speed. Oh well, no reason to ignore the beauty of nature.

He smiled and nodded as he passed Azaka and Kamidake, who were guarding the entrance to the house, as usual. They turned their large, cylindrical bodies so that their sensor arrays were focused on him.

"Good morning, Lord Katsuhito. Pleasant day, isn't it?" remarked Azaka.

"Indeed it is," replied the old man, his voice, worn down as it was by the passing centuries, a stark contrast to Azaka's youthful yet mechanical one. "Have any of the usual happenings put in an appearence yet?"

"Actually," stated Kamidake flatly, "I've noticed a distinct lack of noise this morning. Perhaps they have simply awoken late today?"

"Perhaps. I think I'll go see." The aged man glanced down the road and saw a small figure approaching on a bicycle. He grinned. "You two have fun."

"Yes sir." the pair replied in unison, in what can only be described as a jovial tone of anticipation.

***

Sasami gazed about the table in wonder. An amazing thing had happened, and she was unsure who to credit it to. There was peace at the breakfast table, and everyone was there.

Nobiyuki was alternately glancing at the paper and sharing his views of the media with whoever would listen. Ryoko sat without touching Tenchi excessively and complimented Sasami regularly. Ayeka didn't complain when Ryoko took the last of the soup _and_ the rice. Tenchi was explaining to Mihoshi the use of bokken, both traditionally and practically, while Mihoshi listened and tried to understand. Washu was attempting to create a program that would allow her to ascertain the exact temperature and time at which to cook any meal, based off of what Sasami was telling her, and Ryo-ohki enjoyed a pile of carrots that had been set aside for her. The world, for once, was at peace. Sasami's ever-present smile widened. Today would be an extra good day, and as everyone knew, an extra good day always started with an extra good breakfast. Logically, therefore, her breakfast must be exceptional today. How good to know that she was appreciated.

Katsuhito quietly entered the room, taking his place at the crowded breakfast table and helping himself to what was left.

"Slim pickings today, I see."

"Only because you were late, father."

"Hi grandpa, can you tell me again why the bokken is considered more honorable than the traditional kendo stick in combat? I can't remember, and Mihoshi would like to know."

"It really is quite interesting, Tenchi's grandfather."

"Hey, gramps, can you pass the soy sauce?"

"Such a lovely day, isn't it?"

"Lord Katsuhito! How are you?"

"Meow!"

Katsuhito smiled. Though this busy atmosphere was commonplace now, it could not last forever, and he was determined to enjoy it while he could. Such possibilities for the future. And Tenchi's choice would influence the future of their little family. It really was too bad he must choose at all. Ayeka and Ryoko were so similar in many ways, and it was clear that no matter who he picked, someone would be hurt. Hurt as he had hurt Ayeka. He stole a glance at the strangely quiet and contemplative girl. Oh, Ayeka, he thought, if only things had turned out differently... No. All that had happened was for the best. If he had not married, Tenchi would not be alive now, and life would not be the same without his grandson. What-ifs had a time, and this was not it.

Ayeka smiled softly at her food, at Sasami, at Tenchi, at anything at all really. Soon Tenchi would be hers. In fact, the ship should be arriving any moment now.

The princess stood. "If you will all excuse me, I have something to attend to. Please, continue with your meal." She smiled once again at the assembly and departed, humming a tune. Her aimless steps led her to the lake, where she stood and considered her reflection, not entirely to her satisfaction. She had to admit, Ryoko had the more impressive proportions between the two of them. But something like that shouldn't matter to Tenchi. Besides, she was cultured and well mannered and soft spoken, and above all, she loved Tenchi with all of her heart. Loathe as she was to admit it, she would be sorry for Ryoko when she married Tenchi. 

Ayeka sighed. It had to be this way. If she didn't get Tenchi, the space pirate would. Everyone knew it. Perhaps...perhaps she could allow Ryoko to live with them at the castle. After all, Tenchi would never cheat on her, and despite her many, many, many shortcomings, Ryoko would accept her loss with grace. Eventually.

A movement in the air caught her eye, and she looked up to behold the royal flagship, sailing serenely through the sky. Her smile returned. The day had at last come.


End file.
